WFO Denver/Boulder

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER CO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
600 AM MDT SAT OCT 29 2011
ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS IN COLORADO THIS WINTER SEASON...BUT WATCH
THE WEATHER.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A VARIETY OF WINTER WEATHER...
OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND ADVISORIES...COVERED EARLIER DURING
THIS WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK. SAFETY TIPS WERE ALSO
PASSED ALONG.
AN EXAMPLE OF SEVERE WINTER WEATHER OCCURRED IN MARCH 2003 ACROSS THE
EASTERN FOOTHILLS...ADJACENT PLAINS...AND MOUNTAINS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
RANGED FROM 80 TO 110 INCHES...ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS IN SOME AREAS.
THE DENVER METRO AREA AVERAGED NEARLY THREE FEET OF SNOW. THE STORM
WAS WELL FORECAST...AND PEOPLE...FOR THE MOST PART...HEEDED THE
WARNINGS...SO CASUALTIES AND IMPACTS WERE MITIGATED.
MORE RECENT EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN DURING THE WINTER WEATHER SEASON
WERE THE HEAVY SNOW EVENTS OF DECEMBER 2006. BACK TO BACK MAJOR STORMS
OCCURRED THE THIRD AND FOURTH WEEKS OF THE MONTH ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO.
HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATED OVER THREE FEET DEEP IN SOME AREAS. STRONG
WIND DRIFTED THE SNOW INTO 12 TO 20 FOOT DRIFTS...AND THOUSANDS OF
RANCH ANIMALS FELL VICTIM. TRAVEL WAS HAMPERED FOR DAYS IN THE HARDEST
HIT AREAS. MORE RECENTLY...A BLIZZARD OCCURRED THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH
IN 2009...CAUSING LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS.
ALSO...DURING 2009...POWERFUL WINTER STORMS BROUGHT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS...WHICH THREATENED AND
TOOK LIVES...DUE TO AVALANCHES AND SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS.
BEFORE WINTER WEATHER THREATENS THIS SEASON...YOU SHOULD PREPARE A
WINTER SAFETY KIT FOR YOUR VEHICLE. WHEN PLANNING TRAVEL...CHECK THE
LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS. A VALUABLE COMPANION WHEN HEADING OUT
IS A BATTERY POWERED NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO...THE VOICE OF THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. IT PROVIDES YOU WITH THE LATEST WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS. YOU CAN PICK ONE UP AT YOUR LOCAL
ELECTRONICS OR DEPARTMENT STORE.
FINALLY...IF YOU NEED INFORMATION ON WINTER WEATHER SAFETY...
WINTER WEATHER SAFETY BROCHURES...OR NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO...
PLEASE VISIT THE WEB SITE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE
RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR AREA...
BOULDER OFFICE.............WEATHER.GOV/DEN
GRAND JUNCTION OFFICE......WEATHER.GOV/GJT
GOODLAND KANSAS OFFICE.....WEATHER.GOV/GLD
PUEBLO OFFICE..............WEATHER.GOV/PUB
ALL THESE EFFORTS HELP US TO BUILD A WEATHER-READY NATION...WHICH WILL
MAKE AMERICA SAFER BY SAVING MORE LIVES AND PROTECTING LIVELIHOODS.
HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE WINTER SEASON IN COLORADO.
TOM MAGNUSON
wARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO COLORADO